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Methadone withdrawal cold turkey

I need some help. Four weeks ago, my 24 yr. old daughter, stopped cold turkey, 36 mg. methadone, after 4-5 yrs. on methadone program Was on this for OC and heroin addiction.
She has been going thru hell, some days are better, some are not. She has been using xanax and alcohol and suboxons' to tru and get thru. How much longer before she starts to feel better?
She has a problem with Xanax, but her doctor has prescribed them to her, a low dose, of which she finishes in a week or less. and then has to find something else. She is out of control when she drinks, goes on the train to the city, goes home with strangers, or to parties with who ever, gets mad at me for worrying about this. She is out of control when she drinks and does xanax. She has not worked in a couple years, the methadone kept her so groggy and alseep, they had her up to 85 or 90 mg., so she worked down to 36. Any suggestions on how I can help her?
thank you.

I am currently addicted to hydrocodone and oxycontin and I seem to have at least one thing in common with your daughter...when I stop or don't have any, I drink constantly. I will go on 2 or 3 day binges and I make really stupid choices while doing so.
I can tell you this: she drinks because she probably can't stand the mental anguish not having the metadone is putting her through. I STRONGLY recommend that she go to a good doctor and explain the situation and start some antidepressants. I have been on and off prozac for 8 years and when I am taking it, I am much more in control of my drinking and drug use. Without it, I go crazy in an attempt to self-medicate.
There is also something that is known as alcohol-induced depression. Drinking makes me feel better at the time, but the next day, I find myself anxious and terribly depressed. So I drink more. It is an awful cycle.
I am also 24 and I understand that she probably does not want to listen to you and you can't force her to. However, it is important that she recognize that drinking and making bad choice will only perpetuate her downward spiral and IS NOT a remedy for recovery. With that said, it is way easier said than done. Everything gets better with time. It takes great patience to get clean and understand it will get worse before it gets better.
She also probably is depressed about all that she has let slide while on drugs, like not having a job. Maybe getting out and being productive would help with her confidence and give her a reason to stay clean!
I am a mother too and I am very sorry for what you are going through. I hope this all helps.

it is not uncommon for an addict to replace one addiction with another...hence the drinking.
through years of therapy, i have learned that an addicts brain chemistry is different. the best course is to abstain from triggers...pain pills, alcohol, xanax, etc. when an addict drinks, it lowers there reasoning process and at this time it is easier to relapse to their drug of choice.
i know that there are some addicts (not alcohol) who can drink socially but they are few and far between.
is going to rehab an option? would she go and is it financially possible?

Methedone is an addiction all its own Im at 5mnths an 12 days c/t from methadone my highset was 350 milgrams a day at her 36 mil she will still feel effects but after the physical comes the mental even after mnths I still struggle through bad days like her I was also on it it for 4yrs she may require more one on one care coming off methadone and other drugs causes deppression the loss of all you have missed was she drinking on the meth and xanax sometimes causes more alcohol cravings sorry to say there is not much you can do but be there for her good luck

I appreciate so much that you responded to my post. Now my turn. I do feel your pain! It helps so much to talk about it to people who go through the same situation. My 23 year old daughter is my only daughter also. I keep being told to leave it in God's hands. Really hard to do that. She is my world!! She has had several breakdowns also & has gone cold turkey & has used Suboxone. But goes right back. She also drinks & God know's what else. The friends she has are not her friends they are her connections. Her boyfriend of 4 years got her on Heroin & she still see's him. I feel as a mother you feel so helpless. She doesn't work also. When I first found out that she was on Heroin I found about 20 empty bags, 5 needles etc. Completely clueless to Heroin. I was devestated!! She is a beautiful girl & everyone tells me that. You would never think she was an addict unless you looked at her arms. It just breaks my heart. I found out about a year ago she takes a city bus all over town to malls, store's, resturants etc. & begs for money. An old co-worker contacted me & told me she was at a store & even asked her for money. She said about 2 hours later she was passing store & my daughter was still there. She pulled in & told her "I know your Mother, are you okay?" She told her I have kicked her out of the house, I told her I hated her, she has no where to go. I was shocked!!!! I have "always" been there & the co-worker said to me "you really need to love & care for your daughter. I got off the phone & just cryed. Having to explain over & over again or justify myself. Bottom line is I love her with every bit of my heart & soul & I will always, always love her. She know's this. I pray your daughter as well as mine that they will wake up from this nightmare they live & know people are there for them. My heart & prayers go out to you!!

I also appreciate your story. My daughter was doing fairly well on the methadone, but I think that she should see about going on suboxone. Did your daughter go to a suboxone dr. and stop or just self prescribe? I have heard of people that this seems to work for. I also hate trading one addiction for another, but what she is doing now will probably kill her. I try to think that we have been to this point before and it has gotten better. She also tells people that I threw her out of the house, (did not) and there's always some jerk that wants to come and bring her to his house. I understand how you must of felt when your friend called you. Unless they have gone thru this they really don't have a clue what happens or what is really said or how what is said gets twisted around. My family tries to understand, but I know they don't. They think that I should probably give her a boot in the butt and straighten her out, they don't realize that this has messed with the chemicals in her brain and it doesn't work like that. Do you try and avoid other parents, especially when they want to tell you how well their child is doing, school, job, apartment or married, then they ask about yours? I feel like crawling into a whole, sometimes I have even said she's doing well, then they ask what she's doing, working etc? I have been know to say she's living out of town and is in between jobs. Sometimes it's nice to feel like it's a normal life going on, not this ****. Hang in there, we are not alone, and I know that they don't really want to hurt us or themselves and I agree I can't let go either. She is my only child, I have loved her and taken care of her for 24 years and I can't just stop. I keep hoping that she will pull herself back (soon). We have always been very close. sorry to ramble on.

First of all, never ever give up on her. Do not listen to those people that tell you to let go off her.
You have to understand that her brain chemistry is altert. She is not clear in her heat and many things she says to you is the drug that is talking to you.
Anyway what she did is to substitute one drug for another. She needs psychotherapy because her mind is weak. At this point she will not be able to help herself.
Since your daughter is 23 it might be difficult to convince her but I think her only hope is to move away with you to a new city to start a new live.
There she should get into a real therapie. If anything else I would say try the "Hacienda" clinic in San Antonio. I heard Dr. Phil recommending this particular one many times. I think you can look it up on his webpage.

Hi her_mom,
Do everything possible to get your daughter the help she needs. Actually that is all you can do. The worst thing i found as a mother is to be an enabler. Although i didn't know i was just defeating the cause at the time. Your daughter may even lie on you, I don't know. My daughter lied on & about me, but it was NOT my daughter that had such a compassion for other's who were hurting. Anyway, my precious angel, Terri (my baby girl) well, i had to bury her may 21st.2005. Only two days before she was going to a place called the Hope Center. "Guess who showed my daughter how to use a needle" ? Her own dad(sperm donar i & she called him) I was the last to know about Terri. She was so terribly ashamed when i found out what she was doing, but i gave her love. She went to numerous rehabs, (sort of a joke in this town) & out of town. One Dr. told her "There is no hope for you", what kind of so called Dr. would say this to a person wanting off drugs. Terri left (3) beautiful children behind that , along with myself are still greiving on a daily basis. Her children were only 4,7, & 9 yrs. old. But they , just as i, loved their mom soooooo much. Like some of the comments i've read on here, people are so desperate to help their child(ren). If anyone would like to talk, ALL you have to do is contact me. Or you may even email me at ***@****. I would be more than happy if i could only help one parent NOT to have to go through what I am & Terri's children.
Sincerely & here for anyone that i can or can try to help.
Debi

Stopping cold turkey from any drug is dangerous. It is very possible to have an anurism (?). Not to mention the possibilities of harm you may do to yourself or others as you withdraw. Withdrawals are temporary insanity. There is no telling what you might do. It is excruciating. Tapering is the best way.

yeah, so this is likely an old fourum but when it comes to cold turkey methadone detox, it's a *****, but with will-power i think most anyone could do it. i say i think because my last dose was last wednesday, and it's now monday evening, i was at 170mgs of liuqid oral meth from the clinc...and before that i was a heavy, heavy IV heroin users for just over fourteen years. as of now, the withdrawl (withdrawal) has been slightly more mild than kicking scag cold turkey, but it seems to last longer...i've never kicked meth before so i'm speaking out of school but i really, really wanna be able to wake up in the morning and not have to take this or that to feel good. i understand that it will likely be a long, long time before i can respond to the question "how you doin"? with "good" but i hope in my heart of hearts that day will come

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